Matunga Station – more specifically, a battalion of 41 women staff – has created history today. The station has made it to the Limca Book of Records as the only all-women railway station – an initiative by the Central Railways General Manager DK Sharma.

They had set the ball rolling for this unique and rather necessary endeavour at Matunga station on the Central line of Mumbai way back in July 2017, with the aim of empowering women, reveals Sunil Udasi, Chief PRO of Central Railways.

The staff at Matunga station. Picture courtesy: IANS

"We are happy to inform that six months after the CR appointed an all-woman staff at Matunga, this station has figured in the Limca Book of Records 2018. The credit for this goes to CR General Manager D K Sharma, who started this initiative of empowering women,” he said.

As part of this effort, every department has been repopulated with women staff. All in all, 41 women have been employed and distributed across various functions – seventeen women have been posted to the operations and commercial department, six to the Railway Protection Force, eight were absorbed into ticket checking, two were made announcers, two were appointed as conservancy staffers, and five have been made point persons.

Last but not the least, Mamta Kulkarni, - who was in 1992, the first ever woman assistant station manager to serve the Central Railway's Mumbai Division – will now be at the helm as Station Manager.

“The staff has been handling all operations of the station round-the-clock for the last six months and the results are positive and encouraging. The idea is to create an environment where women are encouraged to take a decision on their own personal and professional wellbeing,” he said.

This is not the first time a station is defying the norms with progressive policies. Last year, Kochi Metro employed 27 transgender persons across their relatively new metro line in the spirit of inclusivity. When it comes to Mumbai itself - the first woman train driver on CR in 1988, Surekha Bhosale-Yadav, also served in the CR on the Mumbai route, and the world's first 'Ladies Special' local train was also introduced on the Western Railway line here in 1992.